Leak-stopper.



PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.

J. PHILP. LEAK STOPPER.

APPLIOATION PILED MAY 8, 190a.

N0 MODEL.

I'IFD Frames Patented December 15, 1903.

JAMES PI-IILP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LEAlt -STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 746,990, dated December 15, 1903. Application filed May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,174:- (No model.)

T on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES PHILP, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leak-Stoppers for Boiler-Tubes, of which the following is a specification sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which theinveution appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to afford simple but positive means for sealing both ends of a leaky or ruptured boiler-tube without throwing the boiler out of service, the device being applicable from the front end of the boiler and without the need of access to the combustion-chamber, as heretofore.

The invention consists in. the special arrangement and construction of partshereinafter described and claimed specifically.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my tube-plugging device to a boilertube and before the compression and lateral expansion of the packing plugs; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the packing-plugs compressed, so as to expand them laterally and cause them to seal the opposite ends of the boiler-tube. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the tube and anchor-sleeve and an elevation of the driving-cone sleeve before the latter is drawn forward to force the anchor-teeth into the tube. 1 Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the driving-cone sleeve drawn forward and the anchor teeth in engagement with the tube. Fig. 5 is an elevation of theanchorsleeve. Fig. 6 is a section upon line 6 6, Fi 5; Figs. '7, 8, and 9, detail views of three sides of one of the anchor-teeth. Fig. 10 is a view of the inner side of the front packing-plate. Figs. 11 and 12 are views illustrating the advantage of making the draw-rod in linked sections.

A represents a boiler-tube, of which a, is

the front end, and a the rear or combustionchamber end. i

B is a draw-rod either made in one piece,

as shown in Fig. 1, or in sections b'b, linked together, as shown in Figs. 2, l1, and 12. The advantage attained by making the drawrod in linked sections 5 b is that the device may be applied to a tube under conditions in which it would be impossible to apply a rigid reception.

rod formed in one piece, owing to lack of space in front of the boiler. This is illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 11 shows the back head 0 inserted in the forward end a of the tube A and the articulation of thelinks b b, of which this modified form of draw-rod is formed, while Fig. 12 shows the front head D in place.

The rear or combustion-chamber end of the draw-rod B has rigidly secured to it a blank washer nut or cap E, its inner face being preferably formed with an annular filange e. As shown in the drawings, this cap E is formed with a female screw-thread which engages a male screw-thread formed upon the inner end of the rod B, although any other mechanical expedient may be resorted to to render the cap rigid upon and integral with the rod. Resting against the flanged end of the cap E is one end of a cylinder, of asbestos or other suitable packing F, against the other end of which cylinder rests the base of the driving-cone sleeve G, the rear surface of which is formed with the annular flange g. The annular flanges e and g are designed to engage and confine the edges of the cylindrical packing and prevent the spreading or fringing of the same.

As will be seen, the driving-cone sleeve G fits over the rod B and is formed with an extension or neck 9, the end of which is threaded to receive a nut g for the purpose of retaining the anchor-sleeve H and its anchor-teeth i t 11 upon the driving-cone sleeve Gr after the parts are assembled, the anchor-teeth resting only loosely within the radial recesses h h 71, formed in the anchor-sleeve for their By reference to Fig. 5 it will be seen that these recesses h h h are each T- shaped to admit of the protrusion of the tooth portion i and lateral flanges 2' of a toothpiece 1', the latterbeing also formed with a bearing-surface i (for contact with the surface of the driving-cone 9 of sufficient width to form lateral flanges '5 t, which prevent the withdrawal of the tooth piece t' outward through a recess 77.. Thus so long as the anchor-sleeve His confined upon the cone-sleeve G the anchor-teeth 2' will be retainedby and between the two sleeves.

At a suitable distance from the end cap or nut E the draw-rod B is formed with a shoulder 1), between which and the outer end of the anchor-sleeve H is interposed a spring J, which tends constantly to force said anchorsleeve H backward upon the cone-sleeve G, so as to cause the anchor-teeth to press outward against the opposed internal surface of the tube A when the device is inserted into the latter.

The front head D is constructed as follows: A perforated cylinder d, of asbestos or other suitable packing, is placed on the draw-rod between the compression-plates d and (1 said plates being preferably formed with annular flanges upon their inner opposed surfaces for the purpose of confining the edges of the asbestos, as heretofore described with relation to the packing-cylinder F, forming part of the rear head 0. The outer or forward com pression-plate is formed with a neck or extension (1 sufficient in length to equal or exceed the degree of motion or take-up essential to effect the compression of the packing-cylinders F and D. The said neck or extension d may also be made of sufficient length to compensate for any slight variation in the length of tube to which the device may be applied. Hence it and the other parts of the head are freely adjustable longitudinally upon the draw-bar B, being confined thereon by a nut N, engaging with the screw-thread 6 formed upon the forward end of said draw-bar.

A yoke-piece L of cylindrical form straddles the compression-plate d and carries bolts Z, which pass through perforations in the packing D and in both of the compressionplat-es d (P, so that the nuts Z on the end of the bolts limit and prescribe the position of the inner compression-plate d with relation to the yoke-piece L.

The application and operation of my improved leak-stopper for boiler-tubes will be readily understood.

The rear head 0 of the packing-cylinder, which may be of a diameter sufficiently less than that of the interior of the tube to insure an easy passage thereto, is inserted at the front end a, of the tube A and pushed to the rear end a of the tube by means of the drawbar B, whether the latter is made in one piece or in articulated sections, as hereinbefore set forth. Duringthis operation of inserting and pushing through the rear head 0 the anchor-teeth dare confined within the anchorsleeve by the size of the tube, said anchorsleeve being held forward upon. the conesleeve G by the anchor-teeth and against the resistance of the spring J. This brings the forward head d into the front end of the tube in whole or in part, with the yoke-piece L bearing against the end of the tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The nut N is now forcibly rotated upon the threaded end of the draw-bar B, so as to draw the latter outward. As a result of the bearing of the nut N upon the end of the neck (1 of the compression plate 01 the strain is imparted through the packing-cylinder d to the comi bite a ainst and into the op osed inner surface of the tube, thereby anchoring the rear head 0 positively and firmlyin position at or near the combustion end a of the tube.

The continued and forcefuldrawing forward of the draw-bar B by means of the nut N gradually compresses the packingin the cylinders C D longitudinally, at the same time expanding the packing laterally against the inner sides of the tube and efiectually sealing the same at both ends, as illustrated in Fig. 2, by reference to which it will be seen that the escape of steam is effectually barred entirely and exclusively by the compressed packing-cylinders, by reason of the intimate contact of the packing material with both the interior of the tube and the surface of the draw-bar 'B, there being no screw-threads or metallic joints of any kind through which steam even under pressure is able to creep. In this connection it may be noted that I avoid the use of ground joints and other expensive features of construction.

Another important advantage of my construction is that the heads may be said to make up or tighten independent of each other, so that any difference in the diameter of the packing will be compensated for Without interfering or delay in the sealing of the tube. Another advantage is that my improved device may be used repeatedly over and over again by simply renewing the packing-cylinders after each use.

A distinguishing feature of my construction and arrangement of parts is that there is no rotary movement of any portion of the device within the tube, the exterior nut N alone being rotated to draw forward the bar B and thereby force the anchor-teeth into the wall of the tube and compress the packing-cylinder, as hereinbefore set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A stopper for boiler-tubes comprising a threaded draw-rod, compressible cylindrical packin gs thereon,an anchoring device formed with a plurality of radially-movable anchoring-teeth, and means for forcibly drawing the rod lengthwise to compress said packings and bring said teeth into positive engagement with the tube.

2. Ina device for stopping boiler-tubes, an anchoring device comprising a plurality of radially-movable teeth, an endwise-movable non-rotatable rod and means loosely mounted on the rod for forcibly moving said teeth outward as the rod is forcibly drawn endwise whereby the teeth are embedded in the side walls of the tube.

3. In a device for stopping boiler-tubes, an anchoring device having a plurality of radial teeth mounted to yield in one direction and to project and resist movement in the opposite direction, a threaded rod, means on said rod and movable thereon to engage the inner faces of said teeth, and means for forcibly drawing said rod and means lengthwise to force the teeth outward.

' 4. A stopper for boiler-tubes comprising a draw-rod on which are situated two compressible oylinder-packings, an anchor-sleeve provided with a plurality of loose anchor-teeth, a cone-sleeve against which the anchor-teeth rest, a spring which tends constantly to press the anchor-sleeve toward the cone-sleeve, and means for forcibly drawing the rod forward to compress the packing-cylinders, and force the anchor-teeth into engagement with the tube, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the draw-rod, packing-cylinders, the anchor-sleeve H, formed with a plurality of recesses h, in which rest loosely anchor-teeth t', the cone-sleeve G supporting the base of the anchor-teeth, the spring J, arranged to press the anchor-sleeve against the cone-sleeve, and means for positively moving the draw-rod longitudinally,

substantially as and for the purpose de' scribed.

6. The combination, with a tube-stopping device comprising an anchor-sleeve with a plurality of loose anchor-teeth, means engagin g the inner faces of said teeth, and a spring tending constantly to hold said means within the space occupied by the teeth, of a drawrod formed of articulated sections, substantially as herein set forth.

7. A stopper for boiler-tubes consisting of the draw-rod B, head E, cylindrical packingeylinders F, cl, cone-sleeve G, anchor-sleeve H, and anchor-teeth 7 spring J, compression-plates (1, d yoke L, connected with the plate (1, and the nut N, the whole arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A stopper for boiler-tubes comprising a nonrotatable draw-rod, packing members thereon, an anchoring device having radiallymovable teeth, a Wedge member connected with said rod, and means for drawing said rod forcibly endwise and compressing the packing members and forcing said teeth into positive engagement with the tube.

JAMES PHILP. 

